A curated community board for freelance illustrators and comic creators

Weekly Roundup – December 2, 2016

Hello, and welcome again to another Weekly Roundup! In the Weekly Roundup, I provide links and summarized information about the crowdfunded projects, creator opportunities, and resources that have caught my eye over the week. I hope you enjoy!

As a note: I am not sponsored by any company, group, or individual listed below or elsewhere on this site unless otherwise listed.

These past few weeks have been tough for many of us in the United States. We vastly underestimated the nation’s xenophobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, and other prejudices held against mentally ill people, disabled people, veterans, the poor, Muslims, and so many others. For many, their worst fears were confirmed. A man who stands for all of these was voted into the presidential office and many of us are horrified, disgusted, and terrified.

I am finding it incredibly difficult to remain positive and be strong. I’m scared for so many of my friends, and shaken that some family members, coworkers, and people around me voted for someone who sees us as Less Than and Other. But I will continue to take my time and do my best. We are not the minority – we are diverse and powerful. You are loved. You are important. And you have to stay here in this world. Together we can face the evils in our society and overcome them. I have to believe that.

You can check the hashtag #drawdrive on Twitter to find creatives who are donating their time and effort for responsible nonprofits that will work to defend the freedoms and rights of our nation’s most marginalized people.

If you are a trans person in need of legal assistance, many people are offering services pro bono. Check the hashtag #TransLawHelp on Twitter.

If you need to talk to someone or otherwise vent, please utilize this list of help hotlines.

Take care and take your time. Your work is more important than ever. Thank you for sharing your originality and openness with the world. You bring light to the days of others, and it is so, so appreciated.

Awards

The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity is accepting nominations for writers, artists, and creators who work towards:

…Broadening the range of characters portrayed in comics, adding to the variety of creators contributing to the medium, influence on the marketplace and contributions to the advancement of women, minorities and LGBTs in comic books and pop culture.

Nominations are accepted until December 31, 2016, and the award ceremony will take place in Long Beach, California on February 18, 2016. Think about your favorite creators whose work has helped transform the modern comic landscape and give them a chance to get the recognition they deserve!

Crowdfunded Projects

Hatoful Boyfriend is running a Kickstarter to fund the production of limited edition plushes based on the best selling video game title. Tier options include plush and PVC sets of the birds. The Kickstarter ends December 6.

K. Ryan is running a Kickstarter to fund the production of their Matsuri-themed enamel pin set. Tier options include the pins and sketches. The Kickstarter ends December 8.

< /reality > A Visual Novel Project is running a Kickstarter to assist with funding its production. Romance is optional, and your choices affect the plot and character development within the game. Tier options include the game itself, wallpapers, the soundtrack, the artbook, beta access, prints, Steam keys for other games, a Kickstarter-exclusive ending, and more. The Kickstarter ends December 10.

Seiyuu Crush is running a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo to fund the printing of the webcomic’s first two volumes. Both books will have over 240 pages of content, including the comic itself as well bonus pages. Tier options include postcards, printed editions of volumes 1 and 2, a t-shirt, and character pins. The campaign ends December 12.

Webcomic Orange Junk is holding a Kickstarter to fund the printing of its second, third, and possibly fourth volume. Billed as a love letter to the shoujo manga genre, Orange Junk combines comedy, friendship, and romance in a hilarious (and personally recommended!) package. Tier options include PDF and softcover volumes of any volume of the series, a keychain featuring the character Drew, dakimukura (body pillow cover), a desktop pack, a sticker sheet, and a possible cameo in the comic! The Kickstarter ends on December 14.

Flush Fatale is running a Kickstarter to fund the production of a deck of cards featuring 54 women from history illustrated by 54 women artists. Tier options include the deck of cards, a PDF booklet of the art, and signatures from all of the artists involved. The Kickstarter ends December 18.

Creature Feature is running a Kickstarter to fund the production of its first volume. Totalling at over 148 pages, Creature Feature Volume 1 will collect over two years’ worth of the ongoing NSFW comic series along with never-before-seen bonuses. Tier options include PDF and print versions of the book, wallpapers, mini comics, prints, bookplates, and commissions. The Kickstarter ends December 29, 2016.

Pretty Boys and Animals: A Coloring Book is running a Kickstarter to raise funds for its production. The books will be printed on 190 gsm pure white A4 paper with single-sided pages, great for coloring with marker without heavy bleed. Tier options include PDF and print copies of the book. The Kickstarter ends December 30, 2016.

Here is a survey for Women Professionals in Animation. If you work in animation and identify as a woman, please submit your anonymous information to this survey to inform and assist current and future animators.

You can find a directory of currently open animation jobs at animatedjobs.com! Companies like DHX Media, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and others have a number of open full-time, part-time, and freelance positions available, including social media, editing, and teaching.

Comics, Illustration, and More

Lucy Knisley is looking for illustrators to create a print to benefit Planned Parenthood. Sign up using your email and select an important American activist for women’s rights to illustrate.

SCBWI is also accepting submissions for the Student Illustrator Scholarship. Scholarships provide admissions to all conference events, including keynotes and breakout sessions, entry in the Juried Portfolio Showcase, and more. Entries are due by December 5 for the Winter Conference in New York, and due May 1 for the Summer Conference.

State of the Union, an upcoming digital zine featuring black and white color illustrations, comics, prose, poetry, and more, is accepting submissions until January 13, 2017. The zine will be available for free online. Donated proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

Weekly Shonen Magazine and MediBang are hosting a manga contest! Submit your completed comic by January 12, 2017 for the chance to have your work reviewed by Weekly Shonen Magazine editors. Simply post your comic of 50 pages or less and MediBang will translate it. Winners will have an editor assigned to them to help develop your comic further. Grand prize winners will also be published in Weekly Shonen Magazine’s manga app Magazine Pocket.

Little, Brown’s Emerging Artist Award is accepting entries until January 15, 2017. Submitted mockups should invoke the diversity and rich cultural experiences in America. Potential prizes include $2500 in American Express gift cards, round trip travel to New York City, and a one-day mentorship with the Little, Brown book design and editorial team and Jerry Pinkney.

Nature and Humans: A Comic Anthology is accepting comic submissions until January 30. Final submissions will need to be between 4-8 pages and in full color. Payment for art to be determined be funds raised through crowdfunded after the book is printed and shipped.

Level-8 Comics is hosting a Design a Character competition for creators ages 5-15 until January 31, 2017. Design one hero and one villain to be drawn and featured in issue 1 of Late Knights: A Sense of Steel.

The Silent Manga Audition announced its seventh run of its worldwide dialogue-free comic competition. The theme is “unforgettable taste.” Entries are due by March 31, 2017.

Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic that previously published Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, Jeff Smith’s Bone, and Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet, is accepting submissions for graphic novelists creating works for children and teens. Visit their site for more information. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2017.

@JkaplanAW is searching for a composer for a future yuri visual novel project. Ideally the composer would be comfortable creating music stylistically somewhere between jazz and classical, making use of acoustic guitar and piano.

Corporeal Voices has opened The Voice Is A Muscle annual grant for writers of color residing in Oregon. $10,000 will be granted to a person of color in 2 payments over the year for their works promoting social justice. Submit by December 5 to be considered for this year’s grant.

Female-identifying US residents 13 years of age or older are invited to apply for the Search for Hidden Figures, a scholarship for women pursuing education and careers in STEM fields. Winners have a chance to receive up to $50,000 in scholarship money, amongst other prizes. Enter by December 10 to be considered.

Cards Against Humanity is funding the Science Ambassador Scholarship, now accepting applications until December 11, 2016. The scholarship will cover full tuition for up to four years of an undergraduate degree for a woman studying science, engineering, or math.

Beyond the Binary is seeking non-binary contributors, prioritizing people of color, low income people, and disabled people.

Vox Media is looking for a writing fellow to pitch, write, and create visual content focused on race and ethnicity and how they intersect with other identities. The position is based in either NYC or Washington, DC.

Corporeal Voices has opened The Voice Is A Muscle annual grant for writers of color residing in Oregon. $10,000 will be granted to a person of color in 2 payments over the year for their works promoting social justice. Submit by December 5 to be considered for this year’s grant.

Entangled Publishing is seeking 2-3 interns, mostly to assist with YA titles but also with adult romance. POC, LGBTQ+, neuroatypical, and disable applicants are encouraged. Position is unpaid and remote. Apply by December 18 for consideration.

Handtype Press is seeking submissions from writers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Stories should be at least 500 words and at most 4000 words, with elements of science fiction, horror, fantasy, the supernatural, and/or magical realism. Submissions are due by December 31, 2016.

Book Smugglers Publishing is seeking submissions for an anthology on the theme of Gods and Monsters. Length must be between 1500 and 17,500 words in length. Payment is $0.06 per word, up to $500. Submissions are due by December 31, 2016.

Fiyah Lit Magis seeking submissions of fiction and poetry for their Summer 2017 issue with the theme “Spilling Tea”. Submissions are due by January 1, 2017. Check here for more information and details.

Tor is accepting submissions of fantasy novellas between 20,000 and 40,000 words. The story’s world must be one not modeled on European cultures. Submissions close January 12, 2017. Tor is also accepting pitches for essays, think pieces, reviews, and similar content with a final length of 1000 to 2000 words.

State of the Union, an upcoming digital zine featuring black and white color illustrations, comics, prose, poetry, and more, is accepting submissions until January 13, 2017. The zine will be available for free online. Donated proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

The newly launched Argot Magazine is seeking submissions about queer and marginalized experiences. Click here for more on their mission as well as their pay rates.

Online monthly magazine The Dark is accepting submissions from 2000 to 6000 words in length. Encouraged genres include horror and dark fantasy, but graphic, violent horror is not desired. Payment is $0.03/word for up to 6000 words. Republishing payment is $0.01/word.

Horror-Writers.net is seeking submissions of horror fiction and articles related to the horror genre.

Random House’s digital-only imprint Hydra has open submissions for completed works in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror categories. There is no word count limit for submissions, but full-length works of 40,000 words or more are preferred. Accepted writers will be assigned to a Random House editor, marketer, and publicist. Response time is usually 2-4 weeks.

Becca Hillburn is not only a provider of extensive, honest, and high-quality product reviews and tutorials, she’s a full-time comic artist and illustrator passionate about children’s lit and helping others. Check out her store, her book, or her Patreon and send her a “thank you” message if you can!

You can check the hashtag #drawdrive on Twitter to find creatives who are donating their time and effort for responsible nonprofits that will work to defend the freedoms and rights of our nation’s most marginalized people.

That’s it for this week! Look up for another post next week with these categories and possibly more. Is there something you’d like to see more of? Something you know about but don’t see here? Let me know!